The Millennium Puzzle was Put Back Wrong
by Hinotama Soul
Summary: Yami is forced to experience unpleasant parts of Yugi's life when a tweak in the Millennium Puzzle causes lots of trouble for both of them! *FINAL CHAPTER*
1. Bad Magic

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
Yugi's alarm clock failed. When he was finally awakened by the light, it was twenty minutes too late.  
  
"I have to hurry!" Yugi cried, quickly leaping out of bed. "Grampa! Why didn't you wake me up?" He threw on his coat and reached for his Millennium Puzzle, which was hanging on his coat rack. Unfortunately, he swung it so hard that it hit the wall, and a corner section fell apart.  
  
Grampa came into Yugi's room then. "School's almost starting. What are you still doing here?"  
  
Yugi fell to his knees frantically and began to work on the Puzzle.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't wake you up, but I had an order come in this morning," Grampa explained. "Hurry up and slip those pieces in. You don't want to be late, my boy."  
  
This was only the third time that Yugi had to put the Puzzle together, so he didn't really know the secret too well. He quickly stuffed in the pieces any way they would fit. Finally, he got it put back together, expect for a tiny piece that was sticking out of it in the upper left-hand back corner. He then swung on his backpack and made it for the door. "Bye, Grampa! See you later!"  
  
"Goodbye, Yugi!" Grampa yelled, watching his grandson, who was already halfway down the block. Quick for a little one, you'd say.  
  
But Yugi wasn't Yugi anymore. His yami had come out. He found this strange, since this was definitely not the time for that.  
  
What are you doing here? Yugi asked his yami, as they ran further and further along.  
  
"I don't know," Yami admitted aloud. "I thought you wanted me to help you get to school faster."  
  
No, I can run perfectly well on my own. You see how I always run faster than Joey, Tristan, and Téa. When you come out, you're always behind the pack.  
  
"I am not!" Yami retorted. "We should have a race and find out!"  
  
This isn't the time for that! I'm coming out now.  
  
But as much as Yugi tried, he could not come out. Yami laughed nervously as he reached Domino High School.  
  
"We're finally here. Come on out before your teacher hands out the math test," Yami urged.  
  
I can't!  
  
Yami walked into the classroom, where the tests had already been handed out. He whisked himself onto his desk and picked up his pencil.  
  
~Yugi, come out now. You know math isn't my best subject!~  
  
Don't worry. We'll make the best of things. I'll help you. It will take twice as long to finish the test, but it's the best we can do.  
  
Yami saw the first problem. ~Well? Little help?~  
  
Okay, Yami. First, in that box on the left, write a square root sign.  
  
Yami made a weird noise, and in the box, he drew a tree with a square base.  
  
No, no, Yami! A square root sign is kinda like a division sign, except kind of pointy on the left. Wait, you wouldn't be able to understand that, would you? Oh, I'm going to fail this.  
  
The teacher interrupted him then, holding something.  
  
"Yugi, it is very unlike you to be late. You'll have to bring this warning slip home to your parents to sign," his teacher said, handing him a pink slip. "Turn it in on Monday, please."  
  
Yami wanted to protest, but he could not. Yugi had finally come out.  
  
"Yes, sir. I'm so sorry," Yugi said, focusing on his math test. Yami wanted to communicate with Yugi about the recent problems they had "switching," but he stayed quiet so Yugi could finish the test.  
  
Finally, when the tests were handed in and it was time for gym class, Yami addressed Yugi.  
  
~You scared me. I thought you were going to make me take that test. What has gotten into you, Yugi?~  
  
Yugi, shivering in his gym clothes, replied. I don't know. As soon as the teacher addressed you, I came out. It was beyond my control, really.  
  
~How odd. Well, let's hope that it doesn't happen again.~  
  
"Today is rope-climbing day, students," said the gym teacher. "I'll call you randomly. Those who cannot climb the rope successfully will have to run a mile."  
  
Yugi gulped. Every week, he was unsuccessful at climbing that thing and had to run that mile. He bent down to stretch to prepare for it. Meanwhile, Joey had been called, and he managed to climb it pretty well. Joey had previously told Yugi that his strategy was to imagine a giant pizza at the top of the rope. Of course, that did not work for Yugi.  
  
Suddenly, he was called. "Yugi, you're up."  
  
His yami came out again. Yugi was surprised. That's okay, I don't need your help. I'm used to running that mile, anyway.  
  
~It's not what you think. I couldn't control it. I'll take care of this, I guess.~ Yami grabbed the rope and easily climbed to the top. The gym teacher gasped.  
  
"That was impressive, young man. I guess all those miles have toughened you up," the gym teacher said and sort of laughed.  
  
During lunch, Joey was sitting next to Yami in the classroom. "Why aren't you coming to eat?"  
  
Yami wasn't particularly inclined to eat, usually. That would explain his stickly figure. He just sat there, leafing through his Duel Monsters deck.  
  
"Come on, I've got a big sandwich we can share, Yugi," Joey begged.  
  
"Sure, Joey. That's really nice of you," Yugi said. He had come out again. What are you doing? Is something wrong? Why are you going in and out like that? he asked Yami.  
  
~It's not me. You're doing the same thing. I think something is wrong with the magic that normally changes us back and forth.~  
  
Joey removed a sandwich from his bag and ripped a small piece for Yugi. Then, he shoved the bigger part in his mouth quickly. This is how Joey shared his lunch, normally. Yugi ate his piece quietly, deep in thought.  
  
~Has anything happened recently that would cause something like this?~  
  
Not that I know of. Wait! This morning, I woke up late and accidentally broke part of the Millennium Puzzle. I was in a big hurry to get it together, but it should be right, since you're here, right?  
  
~Hmmm.~ Yami thought as the bell rang.  
  
Finally, the school day had ended, and Yugi was walking home with Joey and Tristan. Yugi was still kind of quiet due to his confusion about the events that occurred that day.  
  
"I was so surprised that you actually nailed that rope climb," Tristan said. "You're the man, Yugi!"  
  
"Thank you, I guess," Yami said. He had come out. This was too confusing for Yugi. Joey, Tristan, and Yami went their separate ways, and Yami finally reached the Game Shop.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, boy," Grampa said. "Since I had a new order come in this morning, I need you to take inventory."  
  
~Inventory?!~ As previously stated, math wasn't Yami's best subject, and since he couldn't change back into Yugi, he began to panic.  
  
"What's the matter? You always do the inventory so well, Yugi," Grampa said.  
  
"Oh, nothing. I'll do it!" Yugi had come out again. By then, both Yugi and Yami had figured out what was going on, and they hoped it wouldn't last for very long . . .  
  
(To be continued) 


	2. Switching Peril Unmasked

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
That night, Yami and Yugi were discussing their new problem.  
  
So we can't change normally because the Millennium Puzzle wasn't put back correctly.  
  
~When I actually had the chance to look down at the Puzzle, it all came together. A piece of it is jutting out.~  
  
So now we change randomly. This is a big problem.  
  
~I don't think it's random, Yugi. I noticed that we only change when someone talks to us.~  
  
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Yugi's mom. "It's time for bed," she said.  
  
"See, it didn't happen," Yugi accidentally said aloud to his yami while hanging up his coat.  
  
"What didn't happen?" asked his mom.  
  
"Umm, a meteor shower that someone at school was talking about," Yugi stammered, covering his mistake.  
  
"Speaking of school, how was it today?" his mom asked.  
  
"Very . . . normal," Yugi began. He suddenly remembered that he had that pink slip. He went over to his backpack and handed it to his mom. "I'm sorry. The alarm clock's batteries ran out. It won't happen again." He crawled into his bed.  
  
Yugi's mom pulled a pen from her hair and signed it. "Just as long as it doesn't happen again, Yugi dear." She bent forward and kissed him on the forehead and left the room.  
  
As soon as the door closed, Yami quickly sat up in Yugi's bed. He was blushing and his pupils went to the center of his eyes, since he did not like kisses much. He blinked a bit.  
  
You stole my nightly kiss! Yugi protested.  
  
~You think I WANTED to be kissed?! That weird thing happened again.~  
  
We didn't switch when she talked to me at first. There has to be something else to it.  
  
~Maybe it has to do with WHAT is being said. I'll need another day to figure it out completely. Until then, let's get some shut-eye. We won't be able to figure this out if we're all groggy tomorrow. I believe tomorrow is Saturday, so we'll have a lot more time.~  
  
Yami laid down and tried to sleep, but since he didn't sleep much as a pharaoh, it was very difficult.  
  
I'm sleepy, Yami. Please go to sleep.  
  
~I'm trying!~  
  
Yugi became irritated. Unable to change back, he could not sleep. Sleep was further disturbed by Grampa, who opened the door at that moment.  
  
"I just wanted to say good night, Yugi," Grampa said, and closed the door.  
  
Yugi came out and took off his Millennium Puzzle and went to sleep. (He otherwise would not have been able to, since Yami cannot take it off.)  
  
  
  
The next morning, Yugi got up early to try to fix the Millennium Puzzle. But as much as he tried to yank the misplaced pieces out, he could not.  
  
"Maybe Yami can help," he thought aloud. "I guess I'll have to risk him popping out at a weird time." He put the Puzzle back on.  
  
Grampa had waken up early to make breakfast for the family. He had found a new recipe in a senior citizen magazine and wanted to try it out. He claimed it looked good.  
  
"I hope you like it," Grampa said.  
  
Yugi scooped some of the greenish glop. His spoon was trembling as it neared his mouth. It smelled horrible.  
  
"Don't be afraid, Yugi. It's actually quite good. Think of it as a weird kind of green tea," reassured him mom. She lightly pushed the spoon into his mouth.  
  
Yami swallowed and didn't feel so good. Once again, he had come out.  
  
~Always at the worst times!~ His face looked angry. Yugi was quite happy that he didn't have to try that stuff.  
  
"So? What do you think?" Grampa asked eagerly. "Does this deserve an encore?"  
  
"NO!" Yami said, shocking both Grampa and Yugi's mom.  
  
"My boy is becoming more assertive everyday," his mom said.  
  
After breakfast, Yugi told Yami to try to fix the Puzzle.  
  
~I can't do that. I'd disappear if any of the pieces actually fall out.~  
  
I didn't think about that. Well, try it anyway. We can't live this way.  
  
Yami yanked and yanked, but it would not come apart. ~We are going to have to figure out the secret of this strange switching instead.~  
  
The phone rang. Yami was startled at first, but he had been with Yugi long enough to know a little bit about how to use phones. He picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" he asked. "Hello?"  
  
You're holding it upside-down. Yugi reminded him.  
  
Yami was embarrassed. He flipped it the right way and asked again, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Yugi. It's Téa," the voice on the other line said. "You sound a bit different this morning."  
  
"Hi, Téa!" Yugi said, for he was now out. "Umm . . . my voice was still asleep, if you know what I mean. What's up?"  
  
"I need you to tell me what chapters we have to read out of our history book," Téa explained.  
  
Yugi gave her the page numbers, and the conversation was over.  
  
~I've figured it out, I think. When your name is said, we switch.~  
  
"Ah!" Yugi said, smiling. "Now we'll finally have some control. Let's try it. Here goes . . . Yugi."  
  
But nothing happened. What happened?  
  
~I don't know. Wait a minute; it didn't work because YOU said it. All the other times, other people have addressed you.~  
  
Yugi and Yami were quite glad they solved the mystery, but it was going to be difficult to fix it, since the Millennium Puzzle presently could not be taken apart again.  
  
Grampa walked in. "Yugi, I need you to watch the store while I go to the bank," he said. "Just remember what I taught you about handling customers."  
  
"Yes, customers . . ." Yami stammered a bit sarcastically as Grampa went out the door.  
  
Just then, Kaiba walked in. This was the second time that Kaiba has ever set foot in the Game Shop. Both Yugi and Yami were surprised.  
  
"What are you doing here, Kaiba?" Yami asked a bit aggressively.  
  
"I heard you had a new order come in yesterday," Kaiba said. "The goons over at the company ordered the wrong set of cards. This dump was the only other place to order them on time to receive them this week. I need one of those new packs for Mokuba now, so just name your price so I can get out of here."  
  
"My price?" Yami didn't know much about money or anything, since he was used to paying with pebbles and chunks of gold. His competitive spirit surged. "How about a duel?"  
  
"I didn't come here to duel, Yugi!" Kaiba said angrily.  
  
"I - I was just kidding," Yugi stammered. "Uh, here you go, Kaiba. The price is on the bottom of the pack."  
  
Kaiba paid for the cards and abruptly left.  
  
We're going to have to fix this problem soon, Yami, before I fail math and before you trade Grampa's things for duels!  
  
~I have an idea. Let's go see your grandfather when he returns. If anyone can help, it's him. After all, he DID find the Puzzle in the first place.~  
  
(To be continued) 


	3. The Worst Has Happened

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
"Grampa? Can I ask you something?" Yugi asked, his huge eyes twinkling innocently.  
  
"Sure! We can talk awhile until the next customer arrives," Grampa said. "What is it you need?"  
  
"Well, Grampa," Yugi began, "when I tried to put back the pieces of my Millennium Puzzle yesterday, I think I made a mistake. And when I tried to take out the pieces to try again, they wouldn't come out."  
  
"Hmm," thought Grampa aloud. "That's interesting, Yugi. Here, let me see." He reached for the Millennium Puzzle, but since he had said Yugi's name, Yami had come out. And since Yami was out, the Puzzle could not be taken off, as if a powerful force was keeping it on his neck. "I can't remove it! I must be getting too old."  
  
"No, uh, Grampa," Yami said. "It's some kind of magic, but I hope you'll be able to help us . . . err, me."  
  
"Well, when I'm done with the Shop today, I'll go through my archeological things to see if I have anything that can help. You don't want to yank that thing too hard, Yugi. It's still an ancient artifact," Grampa explained.  
  
The next day, Sunday, was Grampa's day off from the Shop, so he had plenty of time to try to help out Yugi. "I searched through my equipment, but all I could find was this machine that sterilizes artifacts. It's worth a shot, I think. If dirt is keeping the pieces from coming out, then this could work."  
  
"Okay," said Yugi. He took off his Millennium Puzzle and put it in the machine. "Now what?"  
  
"It will take an hour," said Grampa. Just then, someone was at the door. It was Joey. He came by on Sundays for a little supplemental training from Grampa. "Ah, young Joey, you're here . . . late! Yugi, you can sit here and watch your Puzzle while I lecture your young friend here about why you should play cards face-down in certain situations." He and Joey went into another room.  
  
Yugi sat and stared at the Millennium Puzzle and the machine that was supposedly cleaning it. He then noticed that the green light that was normally on top of it was not on. The machine was not working. "Grampa!" he called. "The machine is broken!"  
  
"I'm busy now!" Grampa called back. "I'll fix it tonight."  
  
That night, Yugi tried to fall asleep, thinking about the present situation. He thought that he could maybe leave his Millennium Puzzle at home, but he has never done that. "I'd rather risk switching around over leaving my Puzzle alone," he said quietly to himself.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Yugi got to school and turned in his pink slip. As long as nobody addresses me, we're fine.  
  
~Let's just hope for the best.~  
  
But the worst happened. "Good morning, class," the teacher began. "Today's the day we begin with our projects."  
  
Projects?! Yugi had completely forgot. On Mondays, projects begin, and this week, the project was mock marriage. The idea made Yami shudder.  
  
"Now this is how it's going to work," the teacher explained. "I am going to pair you up randomly. This evening, you will all have to report back here for the mock wedding. You will have to take care of bills, housing, and . . . this." The teacher pulled out a toy baby from a box behind him. The class made a lot of noise. "Quiet! At the end of the week, each of you will have to give a report."  
  
~Take the Puzzle off! And don't put it back!~ Yami was clearly unhappy.  
  
I couldn't do that. It's too precious for that. Yugi retorted.  
  
The teacher passed out their arrangements, written on a small folded paper. Yugi opened his up slowly, then gasped. He was paired with the prettiest girl in the class.  
  
~Who is she?~ Yami inquired.  
  
Everyone wants to go out with her. This is going to be very interesting.  
  
~Just keep me out of it.~  
  
"Hello. Yugi, is it?" a voice from behind him said. "So I guess it's you and me."  
  
~I told you to keep me out of this!~ Yami thought, as she shook his hand.  
  
"You know, I've always wanted to get to know you better, since you ARE pretty famous. I heard that you were crowned King of Duelists at the Duelist Kingdom."  
  
Yami nodded proudly. "But I'm not ALL about dueling."  
  
The girl touched Yami's chin. "Of course you aren't. Hmmm, you're taller up close than you are from a distance. And pretty cute, too." She giggled. "This might be fun."  
  
At the end of the day, Yami was already going crazy. "Joey!" he said, catching up with him. "Say my name! Say it now!"  
  
"Yugi, what has gotten into you? Did you get personal-jinxed? You aren't supposed to talk, then. I would sock you if you weren't my pal," he said.  
  
"Uh, yes," Yugi said. "Thank you, Joey. So, who did you get paired up with?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Joey admitted. "Let's just say that she can figure out those bills with her eyes closed." He sort of laughed. "Come on, Yuge, let's go home. I gotta find something to wear for tonight!" He put his hands behind his head.  
  
Yugi laughed nervously, but he realized that he didn't change when people called him "Yuge." "Yuge . . . I like that name. You should always call me that," Yugi told Joey.  
  
"I've always called you that," Joey said. "But if that's what you want, little guy, then fine with me. I'll tell Téa, Bakura, and Tristan about it, too, if you want."  
  
Yugi smiled. "Sure." Just then, Téa, Bakura, and Tristan caught up with them. "Hi, guys! Who did you guys get paired up with?"  
  
"I'm with him!" Tristan pointed at Bakura. "There are more guys in our class than girls, so we're stuck together!" He shuddered.  
  
"It's not cup of tea for me, either," Bakura added. "We're just lucky that we don't have to do some of the normal things. All we have to do is pay the mock bills and show up to the wedding, but we don't even have to wed."  
  
"You think YOU guys have it rough? I was paired up with creepy Kaiba!" Téa fumed.  
  
"Kaiba?" Yugi asked. "Are you going to go through with it?"  
  
"No way!" Téa yelled. "My grades are high enough to skip this one project, though I can't say the same of Kaiba." She shuddered. "He told me that he's been so busy with Kaiba Corp. this quarter, that he needs this project to get a decent grade!"  
  
"So what are you gonna do, Mrs. Kaiba?" Tristan joked.  
  
"That's NOT funny!" Téa yelled. "We'll see what happens tonight. I've got to get home to find something to wear."  
  
Back in his room, Yugi picked out his only tuxedo and laid it out on his bed. He held his Millennium Puzzle, wondering if it was wise to leave Yami behind.  
  
"Oh, honey!" Yugi's mom cried. "You're going to look so darling in that little tux of yours. I think this is so wonderful!"  
  
~Ha, ha, ha.~ laughed Yami.  
  
Yugi put on the tux. "How's that, mom?"  
  
"You can't wear that deranged puzzle on your mock wedding night!" Yugi's mom pointed out.  
  
"Why not?" Yugi clutched it, but his mom had yanked it off. Maybe Yami wanted that. he thought to himself.  
  
Yugi was about to leave the house without his Puzzle, but then he remembered that if Bakura's evil spirit happened to see that he was without it, he might try to come by his house and steal it. He could not take that risk, but what else was he risking?  
  
Before he left, Grampa came by. "Yugi, I've fixed the machine. We'll give it a go after you come back. Goodbye, my boy!"  
  
~NOOO!~ Yami cried. His pupils went to the middle of his eyes as walked into Domino High School and saw the place all decorated. "Joey!" Yami called when he saw him.  
  
"Hey, you look awesome, man!" Joey said, himself in a sort of ghetto tux.  
  
"Say my name."  
  
"Sure thing. Yuge," Joey said.  
  
Don't you remember? I told him to call me "Yuge."  
  
Yami panicked as the wedding bells began to ring.  
  
(To be continued) 


	4. A Sticky Situation

. = Yugi's thoughts ~.~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
Téa arrived just then, wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants. "Hello, Yuge."  
  
~Yuge?! Why did she call us THAT?!~  
  
Joey said he'd spread the word to the others!  
  
"Say, 'Yugi,'" Yami told her.  
  
"Say what?" Joey asked.  
  
"My name."  
  
"Yugi Moto, you're up," a voice called from behind. He pushed Yugi into a neighboring room, where the mock couples were getting married.  
  
They went through with the mock ceremony (luckily, no kissing was required), after which a baby was placed in Yugi's arms.  
  
~Thank goodness it isn't me.~  
  
"Something's a bit off," the girl said, "from the last time I saw you. You seem. smaller. Isn't that funny, Yugi?"  
  
"Yes . . . funny . . ." Yami said, blushing because of what layed in his arms. He handed it to the girl desperately.  
  
Meanwhile, Tristan (in a black tux) ran by the little room quickly, followed by Bakura (in a white tux), laughing sinisterly. "Ahhhh!" Tristan screamed. Yugi saw that Bakura's Millennium Ring was glowing.  
  
"Where is Téa?" a deep voice called from a corner of the room. It was Kaiba, dressed in a trench coat-type of tux. He looked very nice, of course due to his massive profits from Kaiba Corp. He was getting angry, as his grade was riding on this. He stormed over to the teacher and took out his briefcase.  
  
"Look, I'll pay you anything if I don't have to do this," Kaiba told the teacher.  
  
The teacher shook his head. "I'm sorry, Seto. You have to learn that you cannot buy your way out of everything. Oh, look, there she is . . ." He went out and dragged Téa from the hallway outside.  
  
"What happened to YOU?" Kaiba asked, pupils in the centers of his eyes.  
  
Téa crossed her arms. "Look, Kaiba. I don't want to do this, and I hope you don't, either."  
  
"I have no other choice," Kaiba said, throwing his briefcase at her feet. "There. In there, you'll find something for you to wear. Go put it on. I KNEW you'd do something like this."  
  
With the teacher watching, Téa had no other choice, so she took the briefcase and walked out of the room.  
  
So Téa became Mrs. Seto Kaiba, but Kaiba refused to even touch the toy baby. "I hope this is over - quick!" he said as he left.  
  
Before he left, Yami got the girl he was paired up with to say his name so he could become Yugi again.  
  
"Good night," she said, holding the toy baby in her arms. "Perhaps you looked different tonight because of the darkness."  
  
"I guess you CAN blame it on the darkness," Yugi said, chuckling.  
  
Grampa was waiting for Yugi in his room. "Let's give this a go," he told Yugi. He put the Puzzle in the machine.  
  
An hour later, Yugi returned to the machine and took out the Puzzle. He pulled at that corner section, and to his disbelief, the pieces came loose! But he knew that somehow, that machine did more than clean dirt. It took more than dirt to cause trouble with the Millennium Puzzle. He spent a few hours past his bedtime, trying to put the pieces back correctly, and finally, he got it so that the Puzzle looked normal again, with no pieces sticking out.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Yugi put on his Puzzle and reported the good news. I got the Puzzle put back correctly again!  
  
~That's good; just in time. Now if only you'd just shut me up in my Soul Room, too.~ Yami laughed.  
  
On his way to school, Yugi noticed Téa up ahead carrying the toy baby, walking very, very quickly. A car was following her. A back window of the car went down.  
  
"Why don't you accept my ride?" a voice called from inside the car. "There are sensors in that baby, and if you walk like that, it'll get shaken too much, and we'll get a bad grade!"  
  
"I'd rather fail; I'd rather walk; I'd rather crawl!" Téa yelled at the car.  
  
"Hello, big sister!" another voice yelled from inside the car. It was Mokuba.  
  
"Big sister?!" Téa yelled. "You and I might be on decent terms, Mokuba, but as for your brother, forget it! Besides, this is only an assignment."  
  
At school, the teacher looked very stressed. "This arrangement isn't working," he said and sighed. "This week's project is over early. I've had too many parents call in an complain." Cheers could be heard throughout the classroom. The teacher walked around and collected the babies. "But . . ."  
  
There's always a "but."  
  
"You still need to give reports so that I can give you a grade. Bakura? Tristan? You guys are up first."  
  
Tristan walked to the front of the class, but Bakura was walking funny. He walked closer and closer to . . . Yugi!  
  
"Hey, what are you doing, Bakura?" Tristan demanded. "We have to earn our grade!"  
  
"It's not me!" Bakura called back. His Millennium Ring and Yugi's Millennium Puzzle were glowing. "I can't control it."  
  
Joey laughed. "I hate magic."  
  
~What's going on?!~  
  
I don't know! Unless it has to do with how I put the Puzzle back together. No, but that's impossible! No pieces are sticking out!  
  
The two Millennium items were stuck together. Bakura hung funnily from the side of Yugi's desk. Yami tried to come out to help, but for some reason, he couldn't.  
  
~I can't come out. How about you try going in?~  
  
Yugi tried, but he, like the Millennium items, was stuck.  
  
"Are you okay, Bakura?" the teacher asked. "You were paired with Tristan, not Yugi. Well, I guess you can give your reports from exactly where you are standing."  
  
"Um, okay," said Tristan. "Stay cool, cool as a cucumber." (He was speaking quietly to himself.)  
  
"Well," Bakura said, at the same time trying to take off his Millennium Ring (but he could not), "it was quite inspiring, really."  
  
"Inspiring?" Joey called from the audience.  
  
"Well," Bakura tried yanking now, "we have to - take advantage of the times - when we're not stuck to somebody else." He pulled harder, and Yugi pulled too, but they could not unstick themselves.  
  
"Very good!" the teacher said, smiling. "Take advantage of living independently. That's exactly what I wanted to teach you through this project. You guys get an A."  
  
"All right!" Tristan yelled, skipping back to his desk.  
  
Next up were Téa and Kaiba. They stood on opposite corners of the front of the class.  
  
"He's a jerk!" Téa yelled, turning her back on Kaiba.  
  
"Ah, well, she didn't want to be with me," Kaiba said angrily. "My little brother, Mokuba, tried to embrace her into our family, but she refused."  
  
"Is that true?" the teacher asked.  
  
"Yeah, well," Téa began, "I never wanted to do this project in the first place. That's why divorce was invented."  
  
The teacher shook his head. Both Kaiba and Téa knew that they didn't fare too well with the grade. They went back to their seats.  
  
"You'll pay for that, Téa," Kaiba muttered from his desk.  
  
After school, Yugi and Bakura had to walk home together, since they were stuck. Grampa was very alarmed at the situation. "I'll have to use my secret weapon to fix THIS."  
  
(To be continued) 


	5. Stunning Realism

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
"Ow! Ow!" screamed Bakura. "My neck!"  
  
"I'm sorry, young man," Grampa said. "What did you say your name was again?"  
  
"Bakura, sir," answered Bakura.  
  
"When you said 'secret weapon,' I thought it was a little more . . . advanced than this!" Yugi yelled.  
  
After five minutes of trying, Grampa stopped pulling. "I'm sorry, boys. I thought that a little old-fashioned wisdom pull would help. It worked when my shoe was stuck to the ground one time . . ."  
  
"What do we do now?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I don't know," admitted Bakura. "Until we can separate ourselves, we have to walk around like Siamese twins."  
  
Bakura and Yugi were stuck together for the rest of the evening, and soon, it was time to go to sleep. They both slept on the floor, as far away from each other as humanly possible.  
  
"Ow! Get off my leg, Yugi!"  
  
"Only if you get off my arm!"  
  
Because walking together all day was very exhausting, both of them fell asleep quickly.  
  
Yugi and Bakura began to dream, but since their Millennium items were fused together, they were having the same one . . .  
  
It began with Yami walking into a black, murky place that looked like the Shadow Realm. Not far behind was Yami Bakura, who was walking much more slowly.  
  
"Yugi, listen to me. I am speaking to you from the Shadow Realm," Yami said. "I think I know how to stop this. Your grandfather's machine caused the Millennium Puzzle to attract other nearby items."  
  
Yami Bakura didn't say a word. HE had forced Yami into the Shadow Realm, since there was no way he'd allow Yami to be out and not him. He figured that he had the Millennium Puzzle right where he wanted it. All that was left for him was to come out and get it.  
  
"I've spent all day evaluating the way the Puzzle was affected by the machine," Yami continued. "A combination of ultrasonic waves and electric impulses made the Puzzle attract Bakura's Millennium Ring. Now, the two items have a bond that cannot be broken by brute strength. The only way to break it, I think, is to use nonphysical means."  
  
Like what? The items are physical, so how can we break them using something that is not?  
  
"I have a theory, though it might sound outrageous," Yami explained. "During the Duelist Kingdom, when around Kaiba's Duel-Disk holograms, I sensed a strange current-like force creating them. That force allowed us to experience the realism of the monsters, and ultimately led to my first and only loss." Yami snarled at the memory. "Sorry . . . course of habit."  
  
Suddenly, Yugi's alarm clock rang. The dream ended.  
  
"But he wasn't finished!" cried Yugi, springing up from his sheets. A choking noise rose from beside him. "Ooops, sorry, Bakura." He laid back down. "Now let's try this again." Together, they rose slowly.  
  
"I had the strangest dream, Yugi," said Bakura. "The spirit from your Millennium Puzzle was telling us to use Kaiba's holograms to break this bond."  
  
Yugi nodded. "I had the same dream. I guess that means we have no other choice. This was clearly a message from the Shadow Realm. But . . . does that mean we actually have to involve Kaiba?"  
  
Bakura nodded sheepishly. "Neither of us possess a Duel Disk. [This was before Battle City.] We're going to have to either ask him or break into Kaiba Corp."  
  
Neither of them had the guts to do that, so they agreed to ask Kaiba himself. Yugi was about to call on the phone to ask, but Bakura stopped him.  
  
"If we ask him on the phone, he might hang up on us and beef up the security at the company," Bakura explained. "We'd have a better chance if we ask in person."  
  
"Good idea," Yugi said, trying to contact his yami. Unfortunately, Yami Bakura was somehow cutting the communication, shutting him out from outside contact.  
  
It took nearly an hour and a half for Yugi and Bakura to inch their way to Kaiba's company. As they came out of the elevator onto Kaiba's floor, they heard the strangest thing: Kaiba's laughter.  
  
"What's the matter, Yugi?" Kaiba snickered. "Ring got your Puzzle?"  
  
"Kaiba, please," Yugi said nervously. "Bakura and I are in trouble, and we need your help."  
  
Kaiba laughed again. "Why should I help you? After all, your little friend, Téa, caused me a decent grade on the silly old project."  
  
"But I helped save you and Mokuba from Pegasus," Yugi protested, feeling the pressure from Bakura trying to pull away.  
  
Bakura was suddenly mad. "Oh, forget this guy! He doesn't know how to treat people at all! He just hangs out with hologram monsters all day!"  
  
Kaiba looked mad. "Don't judge me. Sure, my life's work has been dedicated to my technologies, but now, you'll know what it's like to 'hang out with hologram monsters' firsthand!"  
  
Two security guards carried Yugi and Bakura into the same room that Kaiba and Yugi first dueled in and locked the door. Kaiba had climbed onto his platform.  
  
"I've perfected the holograms in this arena, Yugi," Kaiba said, looking down at the two and taking out his Duel Monsters deck. "Now you will experience the realism of these monsters!" He drew the top card, which was the Battle Ox.  
  
Bakura embraced Yugi in fright. "We're going to experience the power of these cards . . . firsthand!" he cried.  
  
"Calm down, Bakura," Yugi said. "I have a plan."  
  
"You can't fight back against me," Kaiba said. "Because this time, you're IN the fight." He laughed. "But don't worry, there won't be any REAL damage. Just some unspeakable fright."  
  
"Please," whined Bakura. "This isn't fair, or honorable, either. We are not easily scared."  
  
The Battle Ox breathed a foul-smelling breath at them then.  
  
Bakura shuddered. "I take that back. Yugi is not easily scared."  
  
Kaiba laughed again. "I wouldn't expect anything less from him, and I hope that after today, both you AND Yugi come to respect me just a little more. Don't you see? This is my life. This is what I work long hours to protect - my company. And look at how far it's come. You've the Duel Disk . . . you've seen this arena. But now, the technologies of both have been combined!"  
  
"But Kaiba," Yugi said. "This doesn't solve anything!"  
  
"Oh, does it?" Kaiba responded. "At least this will directly show you my talents. You may have outfoxed me in duels, but when it comes to Duel Monsters technology, you're nothing but a helpless little boy! It's time, Battle Ox! Show them what it is like to be a Duel Monster!"  
  
"Yugi!" cried Bakura, paralyzed in fear. "Can that thing really hurt us?"  
  
"I doubt it," Yugi responded, "but if duelists feel the effects of these attacks, then I really cannot say what is coming to us. Kaiba might just be trying to psyche us out. We have to stay calm, even if our heads ARE chopped off." He laughed nervously.  
  
The Battle Ox raised its sword and snarled.  
  
(To be continued) 


	6. Sick Puzzle

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
Bakura ran clear across the arena as the Battle Ox's sword came crashing down. "This can't beeeeeee!" he yelled as he ran.  
  
Isn't it odd that Yugi isn't being dragged by him somehow, choking to death?  
  
"It worked!" Yugi cried. He clutched his Puzzle happily. Yami, you were right about the holograms! The items have successfully split!  
  
~Hmm.~ was all he said in response.  
  
Gee, thanks for all your support. Yugi thought sarcastically. I thought you'd be a little more . . . proud.  
  
~I would be~ Yami thought, ~but something doesn't seem quite right. Let me come out so I can investigate.~  
  
As Yami came out, Kaiba's incessant laughing stopped. "I'm done with you. Tell your little friend, Téa, that nobody 'degrades' Seto Kaiba without some kind of retaliation. I hope you have enjoyed the company of my dear Battle Ox. Care to meet the Blue Eyes White Dragon, up close and personal?" One could tell that Kaiba probably didn't get much sleep the night before, being more cranky and hoarse than usual.  
  
"That won't be necessary, Kaiba," Yami said. "I ask that you let us go now."  
  
"Of course," Kaiba responded. "But I don't want to see either you or Bakura in here without an invitation ever again! Now . . . aren't we late for school?" He pushed a button to open the doors, but two men in black suits were blocking the way.  
  
"We have some bad news, Master Kaiba," the one on the left said. "We have to shut down all the computers the devices in the building. A rampant virus has infected all the computers, and in a few minutes, they will all be frozen."  
  
"Bah!" yelled Kaiba, with his eyes darting vacantly. "Shut down, it is. What a morning." He stormed off so that he could take a look at the problem.  
  
Back in his room, Yugi was getting ready for school.  
  
We're late for school. Better go back in, Yami.  
  
As luck would have it, they could not switch.  
  
What happened?! Yugi began to panic.  
  
~Could it be?~ Yami thought. ~I KNEW something was wrong, but I can't tell what . . . ~  
  
No . . .! Ever since I broke the Puzzle, we've had nothing but bad luck. Yugi sounded like he wanted to cry. He was quite stressed because of the recent events and the lack of sleep he got the night before.  
  
~Now, calm down, Yugi. I'll take care of this.~  
  
And . . . what if Bakura is having problems, too? He can't get help from his spirit . . . and -   
  
~Yugi, don't worry! You need to rest. Here, I'm locking you into your Soul Room, where I know you'll be happy. I'll let you out when I fix all of this.~  
  
You can't do this on your own! And what about school?  
  
~I'll take care of you; I've been here to guide and protect you, and I'm not stopping now.~  
  
Yugi finally agreed, since he had recently been making an effort to trust Yami more. You've really come a long way.  
  
Yami then locked Yugi in his colorful and peaceful Soul Room and began to investigate.  
  
~There, Yugi should be fine. There's no point in leaving him with me, all worried, if he can't come out. I just hope that I can follow through on my word and take care of things . . . It's not often that I'm on my own like this.~  
  
Grampa walked in just then. "Yugi! What are you still doing here? School started two hours ago, and - Wait a minute, you look different . . ."  
  
Yami gulped. Could it be that he was losing his edge of staying hidden? "How?" he asked.  
  
Grampa smiled. "I see that you and that young man were able to solve that little problem of yours. What was his name again?"  
  
"Bakura," Yami replied, sort of relieved. "Yes, we solved our little problem." ~But our problems are not over yet.~  
  
Grampa patted Yami on the head. "Well, I'm glad, since I was about to resort to my power tools." He laughed. "Now get to school, my boy!"  
  
"Mmm," he said, and nodded. Yami did not know where Yugi had placed his backpack and began to look around everywhere for it. Finally, he decided to go to school without it, but he found it next to the door.  
  
At Domino High, the students were on their mid-morning break when Yami walked in.  
  
"Yugi Moto, late again?" the teacher inquired. "What has gotten into you this week?" He handed Yami a pink slip. "One more, and I'll have to have a conference with your mother."  
  
"Surely you don't understand, sir," Yami said, aggression flaming.  
  
"Rules are rules, Yugi," the teacher responded, "even if you ARE one of my best students."  
  
Yami walked away and found Joey and Bakura dueling on Yugi's desk. Tristan and Téa were watching.  
  
"Hey, Yuge!" Joey exclaimed. "Sorry for using your desk, but check THIS out. My Axe Raider is in action!" He slapped down a card.  
  
Bakura laid a card down and attacked, but Joey used his Kunai with Chain and wiped out the rest of Bakura's Life Points.  
  
"All right!" Joey shouted.  
  
Bakura smiled. "That was a good match, Joey."  
  
"Wow, he's such a good sport," Téa said quietly to Tristan.  
  
In fact, Bakura was more than a good sport. According to Tristan, Bakura had been giddy since he got to school (He came a little earlier than Yami did.).  
  
Yami pulled Bakura aside. "By any chance have you noticed anything since this morning at Kaiba's company?"  
  
"Oh, indeed!" Bakura smiled.  
  
"Oh?" Yami asked, looking curious.  
  
"Since we left, I have felt as though the spirit from my Millennium Ring is powerless to control me."  
  
~I get it.~ thought Yami to himself. ~Somehow, Bakura's spirit is locked inside, just like Yugi is. But, why?~  
  
"NO!!!!!!" a loud voice suddenly rattled the room.  
  
"What was that?" Téa asked.  
  
The teacher had been on the phone, but now, he was at his desk, banging his head. Téa walked over to see what was wrong.  
  
"I have 200 shares of Kaiba Corporation, but just now, I heard that the value fell sharply today because they had to shut down temporarily," the teacher explained.  
  
"Oh," Téa said, "you'll be all right. I'm sure whatever is going on there right now, Kaiba is working on it." (Of course, Kaiba was not at school then.)  
  
"I sure hope so. If he can save my stocks, I will happily save his grade."  
  
Téa thought that was a little unfair, but better than having to be his mock wife.  
  
~Wait a minute! The virus! Those two guys said that the virus froze all the computers. Maybe, through the hologram, the computer 'froze' Bakura's Millennium Ring and my Millennium Puzzle so that whoever is out, stays out.~  
  
Yami shared this idea with Bakura, who could only smile. "I think my problems are finally solved," Bakura said.  
  
For the rest of the day, Yami was extremely worried. He didn't know a thing about computers, so there wasn't going to be much he could do that way. Also, even if he DID fix it, would he have to risk Bakura's newfound happiness? Should he let Yugi out to help? How could he help if he can't come out?  
  
Worse yet, shortly before they were dismissed for the day, the teacher (in a slightly foul mood), reminded the class to finish their math packets before a big test on Friday. (And it was already Wednesday afternoon.)  
  
Yami walked home alone quickly that afternoon, trying to make sense of everything that he had to tackle.  
  
(To be continued.) 


	7. Solution Calculation

. . . = Yugi's thoughts ~ . . . ~ = Yami's thoughts  
  
For a while after he finally got home, after making a few stops, Yami laid in Yugi's bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling. He decided to let Yugi out of his Soul Room, seeing that "two heads are better than one."  
  
But as much as he tried, he couldn't get him out. ~It must be the virus!~ Yami thought to himself. ~It's getting worse! What should I do? Well, first thing's first. Let me see if Kaiba fixed the computers at his company.~  
  
He cautiously turned on the television in the living room, and found that the news was on.  
  
"After a frightening stock crash for Kaiba Corporation, CEO Seto Kaiba has gotten things back to normal," the reporter said. "The virus affecting the systems there was apparently triggered by a defense system in one of the virtual playing fields. Sources say that it was Kaiba himself who caused the virus, forcing two of his friends to step onto the virtual grid, flaring up its defenses and triggering the virus. The original purpose of the virus was to protect the virtual stadiums from intruders, but it looks as though Seto Kaiba intruded on his own company."  
  
Yami laughed at Kaiba's mistake. ~If he's fixed the virus, then perhaps it can now be fixed here.~ He held his Puzzle. ~Now how will I get Kaiba to help me?~ He snarled, since he really couldn't think of a way to do it. Not knowing what to do, he decided to try to do Yugi's homework. He had promised to help Yugi, and at this time, there wasn't much else he could do.  
  
As Yami was about to leave the living room, the reporter said, "A call came in from Kaiba Corporation just now, and there's been a correction made by Seto Kaiba himself: The two people he forced onto the virtual stadium were NOT his friends."  
  
That night, after Yami struggled through half of the math packet, he realized that the only way to get rid of the virus was to get help from Kaiba, no matter what. After Grampa came to tell him good night and Yugi's mom gave him a big, disgusting kiss, Yami climbed out of the window and headed for Kaiba's mansion.  
  
Yami got to the door of the mansion. To his surprise, someone else was there as well: Bakura.  
  
"Bakura, what are you doing here?" Yami asked him.  
  
"I'm not sure, really," was his reply, "but I think I might have been wrong about the whole thing about the spirit having no control. He might not be out physically, but his mental nagging drove me here, Yugi."  
  
Yami was about to tell Bakura about Soul Rooms, but then three guards came out of the darkness.  
  
"Kaiba won't take any visitors, especially at this time of night," the one in the middle said. "Why don't you boys go home?"  
  
"I need to ask something of Seto Kaiba," Yami said.  
  
"You heard the guy," the one of the right chimed in. "Go home!"  
  
But neither Yami nor Bakura moved an inch (Yami because of his determination to get in, and Bakura because he was frozen in fear), so one guard picked up Bakura and another picked up Yami. Next thing they knew, they were thrown across the pavement. The guards disappeared into the darkness once more.  
  
Bakura raised his head slowly. "Are you okay, Yugi?"  
  
"Where AM I?" Yugi raised his head. "One minute, I was playing with toys, and the next, I'm lying in front of Kaiba's house."  
  
"That fall must have knocked out Yugi's memory," Bakura said quietly to himself. He noticed that one of the pointy things on his Millennium Ring had fallen off, so he quickly put it back.  
  
"My Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi cried, noticing that some of the pieces were out again. The Puzzle had hit the ground when Yami was being thrown, causing the Puzzle to break and Yami to disappear. Yugi carefully reassembled it.  
  
Finally, he asked Bakura, "Are you okay?"  
  
Bakura nodded. He and Yugi got up and went their separate ways. When Yugi got one last look at him, he noticed that his Millennium Ring was glowing.  
  
Yugi kind of sleepwalked home, since he was so tired, and it took him quite a while to manage to climb back through his window and into his bed.  
  
~Yugi, I think our troubles are over.~  
  
What happened?  
  
~When the Millennium Puzzle broke, it forced me back in and you out. It also somehow rid the Puzzle of the virus.~  
  
Virus? Is THAT was caused me not being able to come out?  
  
~Mmm. How was your stay in your Soul Room?~  
  
Really great . . . thanks. I needed that rest.  
  
~And you also need to rest NOW. It's quite late.~  
  
Yugi had no trouble getting to sleep.  
  
  
  
The next day, Thursday, was, finally, a normal one. Yami stayed in, and Yugi stayed out. Of course, at the end of the day, Yugi's teacher once again reminded the class about the packet and the big math test scheduled for the next day.  
  
Yugi slapped his forehead. "There's no way that I'll be able to finish that packet in one evening!"  
  
"Aw, don't sweat it, Yuge," Joey said, overhearing him. "Knowing you, you've probably already gotten most of it done."  
  
"But . . ." Yugi stammered as the bell rang. He dashed home, ignoring what Yami wanted to tell him.  
  
As soon as he got home, the phone rang. It was Joey.  
  
"Hey, Yuge. What's been up? You haven't walked home with me since Monday. Not like I'm worried or anything, but you've been all weird this week."  
  
Yugi laughed nervously. "I'm sorry; I've just been a little occupied. But I promise that things will go back to normal after this big test."  
  
"Okay, little buddy," Joey said. "I'll let you study now, and I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Mmm," Yugi said, and hung up. He found his packet on his table, and to his great surprise, half of it was already done. He looked through the problems, and they were all done correctly! "Grampa!"  
  
Grampa rushed into Yugi's room. "What is it, Yugi?"  
  
"Did you do my homework while I was at school?"  
  
Grampa shook his head. "Why would I do that? I have a shop to run, boy." He laughed as he headed out. "Me? Homework? That's a good one."  
  
Yugi's eyes widened. Yami?  
  
~Mmmm.~ Yami thought.  
  
Yugi laughed. YOU did this? But just last Friday, you couldn't tell the difference between a tree and a square. How did you do this?  
  
~Look under your pillow.~  
  
Yugi walked over to his bed and lifted his pillow. When he saw what was there, he fell over, laughing, much to Yami's embarrassment.  
  
Under the pillow was a Math for Dummies book.  
  
The End 


End file.
